Drainage systems for processing chambers



Dec. 25, 1962 R. D. LA PAN DRAINAGE SYSTEMS FOR PROCESSING CHAMBERSFiled Oct. 12, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

RAYMOND D. LA PAN ATTORNEY Dec. 25, 1962 R. D. LA PAN DRAINAGE SYSTEMSFOR PROCESSING CHAMBERS Filed Oct. 12, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INTOR.RAYMOND fiitA PAN BY I ATTORNEY Dec. 25, 1962 R. D. LA PAN DRAINAGESYSTEMS FOR PROCESSING CHAMBERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 12, 1959INVENTOR.

RAYMOND D. LA PAN ATTORNEY Unite States Patent Oflfice 3,070,415Patented Dec. 25, 1962 3,070,415 DRAINAGE SYSTEMS FUR PRGCESSENGCHAMBERS Raymond B. La Pan, Granitevilie, Mass, assignor to Q. G.dargents Sons Corporation, Graniteville, Mass.,

a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Get. 12, 1959, Ser. No. 845,7fl 1dQlaims. (tCl. 312-229) The present invention relates to drains for usein disposing of free Water in the interiors of and on the exteriors ofchambers used in processing various materials.

While the invention is adapted for use wherever free water must bedrained from the interior and exterior of a chamber and particularlywherever material is so treated, while it is being conveyed through achamber, that the disposal of ree moisture either Within the chamber orpresent as condensate on the exterior thereof is a troublesome problem,it is herein illustrated and discussed primarily with reference to theordering of tobacco, i.e. the treatment of tobacco to ensure that it hasa desired moisture content.

In ordering tobacco, the tobacco is conveyed through a chamber where theair is maintained in a moistureladen state and circulated through theconveyed tobacco. As a result, considerable free water is unavoidablypresent within and on the outer surface of the chamber. To catch suchwater, it is the practice to erect the chamber within the confines of astainless steel pan on the floor and to connect the pan to the drain.Such an arrangement has the serious drawback that, when leakagesdevelop, due to corrosion or otherwise, repairs are diflicult andexpensive and usually require that the apparatus be shut down for anobjectionably long interval.

The principal objective of the present invention is to provide apparatusin which the drainage of free water is controlled by means that areeasily installed and repaired so that the apparatus will not only have along life, due to more eflicient water drainage, but also can berepaired without any objectionable interference with production.

In accordance with the invention, this objective is at tained byproviding apparatus having a chamber in which there is a conveyor forcarrying tobacco therethrough, base structure including a plurality ofspaced, transverse chamber supporting beams, and a drain which includesa plurality of pans each extending between two beams transversely underthe chamber and under the side walls thereof. The pans include sidesmarginally joined together over the intermediate beams and supportedthereby and have their bottoms disposed to drain towards the center ortowards either or both ends thereof. Gutters may be employed toadvantage and, where used, there is one extending lengthwise of andunder each side wall and supported by the beams and discharging into atleast one and usually all of the pans, preferably through traps. It isalso preferred that the pans, chamber, and gutters, when used, beattached to the beams in a manner ensuring against the development ofleakage.

In the accompanying drawings, there are shown illustrative embodimentsof the invention from which these and other of its objectives, novelfeatures, and advantages will be readily apparent.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of the pans, gutters, and supportingbase structure in accordance with one embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side view of the apparatus,

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, exploded view, on an increased scale,illustrating the relationship of various parts of the apparatus,

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of the outfeed end of the apparatus,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one of the intermediate pans, I

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective View of one of the end pans,

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, perspective view illustrating anotherembodiment of the invention,

FIG. 8 is a section taken approximately along the indicated lines 8-8 ofFIG. 7, and

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 7 illustrating still another embodimentof the invention.

The apparatus illustrated by FIGS. 1-6 has a chamber generally indicatedat 15. The chamber 15 includes section defining pairs of supports 16,each of right angular section and in the form of an inverted U. Thesupports 16 are interconnected to establish sides 17 and 18 and a roof19. Vertical supports 29 are connected at their upper ends toappropriate ones of the supports 16 relatively near to one edge of theroof 19 and have their lower ends interconnected by a bottom rail 21.Between their ends, the supports 20 are connected to appropriate ones ofthe supports 16 at the side 17 by braces 22 and at the side 18 bytransverse, braced members 23.

The upper course of a conveyor 24 passes through the chamber 15 and issupported by sprockets 25 at each end thereof although only those at theoutfeed end of the chamber 15 are shown. As may be seen in FIG, 2, thesprockets 25 have their shaft 26 journalled in bearing brackets 27. Theconveyor 24 may be of any type and is shown as having tobacco retainingside Walls 28. Secured to the proximate faces of the supports 20 and thesupports 16 in the side 18 are transversely alined flanged members 29which serve as tracks for the conveyor rollers 39.

Certain of the sections have motor driven blowers 31 mounted between thesupports 26 and the supports 16 in the side 17. Each blower 31 has itsintake opening into the space below the upper course of the conveyor 24and its outlet disposed to discharge air against the roof 19 where thereare steam heating pipes 32. The heated air passes downwardly through theconveyed tobacco and in certain of the sections there are ordering heads33 attached to the side 18 and disposed to deliver suitably conditionedmoisture transversely of the chamber so that the air circulated by theblowers will have a desired moisture content.

The supports 20 carry a partition 34 between the proximate track member29 and the braces 22 and they and the supports 16 in the side 18 carryshields 35 extending downwardly towards each other and over the upperedges of the conveyor side walls 28. The shields 35 terminate in flanges36 overlapping the inner faces of the sidewalls 28 and each shield isprovided with a side wall engaging seal 37, preferably brake lining, ashas been the accepted practice for many years.

The base for the chamber 15 is generally indicated at 38 and is shown ascomprising a plurality of transverse, parallel, chamber supporting beams39, each having at its ends supporting legs 40 and dimensioned toprotrude, to an appreciable extent, beyond each side of the chamber 15.Each beam 39 has a pair of depending mounts 41 located under thesupports 20 and the side 18 and secured to the proximate faces thereofare flanged members 42 establishing tracks for the rollers 30 of thelower course of the conveyor 24.

In accordance with the invention, a plurality of inter: mediate drainpans 43 and a pair of end dnain pans 44 are provided. Each such pan isdimensioned to fit between a pair of beams 39 and under both sides ofthe chamber 15. Both sides 45 of each pan terminate in co-planar flanges46 which overlie the proximate beams and are dimensioned so thatproximate flanges of proximate pans abut and are sealed together as bywelding 3 or otherwise. The ends 47 of each pan are shown as appreciablyhigher than the sides 45 and extend from the extremity of one flange 46to the corresponding extremity of the other flange 46' thereof. Theproximate edges of proximate ends 47 are sealed together as by Welding.The end pans 44 are identical except that the remote side flange of eachhas an upstanding wall 48.

Gutters 49 extend lengthwise of the chamber 15, one under each sidethereof and each receives within it the lower ends of the supports 16which are anchored to the back gutter wall while the front gutter walland the ends 47 of the pan are attached to clips 50, one for each beamand secured thereto. By this arrangement, any bolt holes are locatedwell above the bottoms of the gutters.

Each pan is shown as having a drain 51 and each gutter is shown as beingprovided with drain ports 52 be tween each pair of beams and connectedthereto are traps 53 thus to seal both sides of the chamber 15 againstthe escape of Warm moist air therefrom or the entry of out side air.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 only thevertically disposed supports 16 of the chamber 15 are shown. These havetheir lower ends secured to the bottom rail 54 anchored to the beams 39through the drain pans 43, 44-. In this embodiment of the invention, thedrain ports 52 are readily accessible when the cover 55 is removed. Thecover 55 is shown as having stiffening bends along its outer edgedefining a channel 56 to receive the pan ends 47 and a supporting flange57 closely adjacent the supports 16. The cover 55 is provided withlifters 58.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated by FIG. 9, the verticalsupports 16 of the chamber are shown as attached by clips 59 to a bottomrail 60 of L-shaped section and disposed with its vertical walloutermost. Pans, such as the pan 61, are provided and these are similarto the pans previously described and are similarly supported andinterconnected over the beams 39 and under the chamber. The pans 61differ therefrom in that their ends 62 include an outwardly disposedflange 63 terminating in an upwardly disposed lip 64 against the innersurface of which the vertical wall of the rail 60 bears, which wall andthe lip 64 being anchored to the beams 39 as by the clips It will thusbe appreciated that drains in accordance with the invention are welladapted to meet a wide range of requirements in draining free water fromprocessing chambers.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for use in material processing, a chamber including sidewalls, supporting structure including a plurality of spaced transverse,chamber supporting beams and supporting legs therefor, a plurality ofdrain pans extending transversely under the chamber and under the sidewalls thereof, said pans including sides marginally joined and sealedover intermediate beams and supported thereby, and a gutter extendinglengthwise of and under each side wall and supported by said beams, eachgutter having at least one drain port discharging into at least one ofsaid pans.

2. In apparatus for use in material processing, a chamber including sidewalls, supporting structure including a plurality of spaced, transverse,chamber supporting beams and supporting legs therefor, a plurality ofdrain pans extending transversely under the chamber and under the sidewalls thereof, said pans including sides marginally joined and sealedover intermediate beams and supported therebyuand ends extending abovethe pan sides and joined together outside the chamber, and a gutterextending lengthwise of and under each chamber side wall, and supportedby said beams and discharging into at least one of said pans.

3. In apparatus for use in material processing, a chamber including sidewalls, supporting structure including a plurality of spaced, transverse,chamber supporting beams and supporting legs therefor, a plurality ofdrain pans extending transversely under the chamber and under the sidewalls thereof, said pans including sides marginally joined and sealedover intermediate beams and supported thereby, and ends extending abovethe pan sides and joined together outside the chamber, a gutterextending lengthwise of and under each side wall and attached thereto,each gutter being supported by said beams and discharging into at leastone of said pans, and means at each beam locking said gutter and theproximate pan ends thereto, said means including a bracket attached tothe beam and connected to the pan ends and proximate gutter above thebottom thereof.

4. In apparatus for use in material processing, a chamber including sidewalls, supporting structure including a plurality of spaced, transverse,chamber supporting beams and supporting legs therefor, and a pluralityof drain pans extending transversely under the chamber and extendingoutwardly under the side walls thereof, the bottoms of said pans beingbelow the upper surface of said beams, said pans including sidesmarginally joined and sealed over intermediate beams and supportedthereby and ends extending above said sides and joined together outsidethe chamber.

5. In apparatus for use in material processing, a chamber including sidewalls, supporting structure including a plurality of spaced, transverse,chamber supporting beams and supporting legs therefor, and a pluralityof drain pans extending transversely under the chamber and extendingoutwardly under thg side walls thereof the bottoms of said pans beingbelow the upper surfaces of said beams, said pans including sidesmarginally joined and sealed over intermediate beams and supportedthereby, and ends extending above said sides and joined together outsidethe chamber, and means anchoring said joined ends to said beams, each ofsaid means including a bracket attached to the proximate beam and to theouter face of said walls above the plane of the joined sides of saidpans.

6. In apparatus for use in processing materials, a chamber includingside walls, supporting structure including a plurality of spaced,transverse, chamber supporting beams and supporting legs therefor, aplurality of drain pans extending transversely under the chamber andextending outwardly under the side walls thereof the bottoms of saidpans being below the upper surfaces of said beams, said pans includingsides whose upper edges are disposed as planar flanges marginally joinedand sealed over intermediate beams and supported thereby.

7. In apparatus for use in processing materials, a chamber includingside walls, supporting structure including a plurality of spaced,transverse, chamber supporting beams and supporting legs therefor, aplurality of drain pans extending transversely under the chamber andextending outwardly under the side walls thereof, the bottoms of saidpans being below the upper surfaces of said beams, said pans includingsides whose upper edges are disposed as planar flanges marginally joinedand sealed over intermediate beams and supported thereby, and endsextending above said sides and from one extremity of one flange to thecorresponding extremity of the other flange of each pan.

8. In apparatus for use in processing materials, a chamber includingside walls, supporting structure including a plurality of spaced,traverse, chamber supporting beams and supporting legs therefor, aplurality of drain pans extending transversely under the chamber andextending outwardly under the side walls thereof the bottoms of saidpans being below the upper surfaces of said beams, said pans includingsides marginally joined and sealed over intermediate beams and supportedthereby, and ends extending above said sides and joined together outsidethe chamber, and a gutter extending lengthwise of and under each chamberside wall and connected thereto, each gutter being supported by one ofsaid beams, and connected to corresponding ones of said pan ends, saidgutter having a discharge port between each beam in communication with apan.

9. In apparatus for use in material processing a chamber including sidewalls, supporting structure including a plurality of spaced, transverse,chamber supporting beams and supporting legs therefor, and a pluralityof drain pans extending transversely under the chamber and under theside walls thereof, said pans including sides marginally joined andsealed over intermediate beams and supported thereby and ends extendingabove said sides and joined together outside the chamber, said chamberincluding supports, supporting members extending lengthwise of said pansand in engagement therewith where joined together over said beams, saidsupports being connected to said supporting members, said pans havingdrains located near their ends to be accessible between said ends andthe sides of said chamber.

10. In apparatus for use in material processing a chamber including sidewalls, supporting structure including a plurality of spaced, transverse,chamber supporting beams and supporting legs therefor, and a pluralityof drain pans extending transversely under the chamber and under theside walls thereof, said pans including sides marginally joined andsealed over intermediate beams and supported thereby and ends extendingabove said sides and exposed and joined together outside the chamber,said chamber including supports, supporting members extendinglengthwiseof said pans and in engagement therewith where joined together over saidbeams, said supports being connected to said supporting members, saidpans having drains located near their ends to be accessible between saidends and the sides of said cham ber, and a cover for the exposed part ofeach pan supported at its outer edge by the exposed pan end and at itsrear edge by said beams, said rear edge being close to but spaced fromthe proximate side of said chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS228,928 Philips June 15, 1880 1,073,542 Stewart Sept. 16, 1913 1,542,523Riek June 16, 1925 1,614,296 Hall Jan. 11, 1927 1,929,478 Bunker Oct.10, 1933 2,163,222 Starr Nov. 8, 1938 2,302,236 Mayne Nov. 17, 19422,450,305 Shoemaker Sept. 28, 1948

